Saturday, August 20, 2016

Blaze at the Ballet

The
lights are flickering, violins tuning, skirts rustling and laughter tinkling.
The year is 1873 and the city is Paris. It’s a night at the ballet, and
everyone is ready for an unforgettable experience.

Outside,
the Fall breeze is blowing, bringing with it an ominous outcome that theatre
goers are far from expecting.

Not only will the patrons of the ballet get to
enjoy the talents of prima ballerinas like Marie Taglioni, they’ll also experience the blazing
spectacle of a grand building going up in flames.

Such
was the night of October 29th when the Theatre Imperial de L’Operaburned
to the ground. As flames from the gas lighting began to lick the edges of the
box seats and Victorian décor, I can imagine women gathering their bustles,
men grabbing their top hats and canes as they all scramble to the entrance to
escape the fire.

The
events bring to mind imagery of tulle, ash and singed silk. The dress code for
an evening at this burning ballet comes straight from the Moschino Fall 2016
collection.

Just
as if they ran across the threshold of the burning theatre, models sashayed
down the runway with smoke emanating from the folds of the fabric.

The lace and
tulle of their gowns played a game of peek-a-boo with burnt edges. Still
wearing gloves and tiaras, it’s as if the glittering world of the Victorian
aristocracy could not be diminished by the drama of destruction. Even in the
midst of the soot and ash, beauty shines through.

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I created A Chichi Life as a creative outlet for me to explore fashion and its connection to art and history. I hope you find plenty of beauty and inspiration here, and of course a dash of chichi style.